Monitoring of an operational state of a machine tool located at a remote place through the use of using a computer by a user is recognized as an essential function for management of a large factory possessing a plurality of machine tools, and thus various methods therefor have been developed.
The methods are basically implemented by a server device for collecting data from a machine tool and a client device for confirming information collected from the server device. The machine tool, the server device, and the client device are connected through a wide area network.
In general, a numerical control device (computer numerical control) attached to the machine tool transmits information dependent on a model of a machine tool by using a unique protocol of a manufacturing company of the numerical control device. Accordingly, in order to confirm information about a machine tool by the client device at a remote place, the client device may confirm information about the machine tool only through the unique protocol of the manufacturing company of the numerical control device. Further, a communication program, which is appropriate for information about a model of the machine tool desiring to receive information, needs to be installed in the client device. In the related art, there is a problem in that a communication program appropriate for information about a model of each machine tool needs to be developed.
In order to solve the problem, an intermediate server device is introduced. The intermediate server device may access the numerical control device attached to the machine tool by using various protocols. The intermediate server device provides a function of converting information obtained from the machine tool based on a standard and storing and managing the converted information, so that the client device may be loaded with only a communication function based on a unified protocol through which the standard may be transceived, without a necessity of loading a communication function based on protocols of manufacturing companies of all of the numerical control devices.
However, the method practically requires substantial man power and cost for purchase, maintenance, and the like of the server, so that there is a problem in that it is impossible to apply the method to most factories possessing machines tools.
In order to solve the problem in the related art, there is a need to develop a machine tool alarm message transmission function applicable even to a small factory while focusing on an error point, not an operational state, of the machine tool. There is a suggestion for a method of receiving a machine tool alarm based on the Internet while focusing on recognition of alarm generation, which is the main issue in operating the machine tool.
However, in the method, a user receives an aperiodically generated alarm through a mobile phone, so that there is a problem in that it is impossible to bilaterally exchange information, such as continuous obtainment of information, such as monitoring of an operational state of the machine tool, and transmission of an alarm generation history and a program file, between the mobile device and the machine tool.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.